Viviana Smith/ Fourth Estate
Student team partners with Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health to advocate for climate change awareness
BY VIVIANA SMITH, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Mason offers classes that provide students with opportunities to gain hands-on practice in various career fields. For a group of 11 students, one of these opportunities has included the chance to partner with an organization that focuses on raising awareness regarding climate-related health issues.
In their class, Public Relations Campaigns, taught by adjunct faculty Barbara Burfeind, the “Elevate Communications” team spearheaded the “Climate Champions: Health Ambassador Program” in collaboration with the Mason-affiliated nonprofit, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health (MSCCH). According to MSCCH’s mission statement, their goal is “to make health and equity central to how we think, talk, and act on climate change.”
“MSCCH is partnered with GMU’s Center for Climate Change Communication (4C). They’ve successfully united over one million physicians to step up and address climate change as the critical health crisis it is,” said senior Kaitlyn Petersen, Elevate Communications team’s media director. Petersen added that the team worked closely with MSCHH’s Director of Programs, Outreach and Strategy Nicole Duritz and Manager of Communication and Mason alumna, Savannah Martincic.
According to the program’s one-pager, the initiative focuses on educating the public about the intersections between climate and health, encouraging community engagement and fostering leadership development by inspiring individuals to take on active roles in climate advocacy.
“Our goal is to educate and inspire GMU students, especially those in health and environmental fields, to take accessible and meaningful climate action by providing them with resources and connections to health professionals already involved in climate-health advocacy,” junior Chloe Miller, the team’s creative director, said.
Senior Gracie Richburg discusses how close the issues of climate change are to college students, especially Mason students, mentioning the community’s pro-advocacy spirit. “GMU students are already passionate about creating change, and campuses are the perfect place to initiate these conversations and make a real, tangible difference.”
Richburg co-leads the team alongside senior Chandler Lynch.
Richburg emphasized how this assignment taught the team the importance of understanding their target audience. By observing how different demographics engaged with their campaign, they found that female respondents showed higher engagement than others. “It really drove home the importance of creating messaging that resonates with people while still being authentic and inclusive,” Richburg added.
Senior Bela Lemon, the team’s promotion director, said that the responses from students were mixed. While some showed increased interest in long-term issues, others remained indifferent or expressed concerns with the here-and-now.
The team expressed hope that the program will increase Mason’s awareness of climate-related health concerns and encourage people to use tools to deepen their understanding. “[MSCHH] provides toolkits, webinars, articles and other resources to not only equip students with the necessary means to develop an understanding but also consolidates the latest news to remain informed,” senior Darwin Lam, the team’s chief idea ambassador, said.
The team mentioned the upcoming 2025 MSCCH’s Annual Climate Action Convention, a three-day event that offers students opportunities to attend workshops, network and to hear from climate-health experts.
“It is essential that we continue these conversations about climate and health awareness to motivate action in protecting our planet and our health,” Lemon said.
